Transcranial magnetic stimulation device with body proximity sensors for the treatment of migraine headaches

Abstract

A transcranial magnetic stimulation device has a capacitor for storing electrical energy. A wire coil delivers a magnetic pulse when the capacitor is actuated to cause current flow through the wire coil. A charging circuit charges the capacitor and there is a sensor which includes an unactivated state and an activated state. A control circuit connected to the body sensor initiates the delivery of a magnetic pulse when current from the capacitor flows through the wire coil.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) device for delivery of magnetic pulses into the body of a patient including:
 a TMS housing having a power switch to electrically activate said TMS device, said TMS device being adapted to be displaced by a user from a first position displaced from a patient's body to a second position adjacent to or contiguous to said patient's body defining a pre-set distance from said patient's body; 
 at least one capacitor within said TMS housing to store electrical energy; 
 at least one wire coil within said TMS housing for delivering a magnetic pulse when an electrical current from the at least one capacitor is caused to flow through the at least one wire coil; 
 a charging circuit within said TMS housing to charge the at least one capacitor; 
 at least one body sensor mounted within said TMS housing having an unactivated state and an activated state, said at least one body sensor for determining if said TMS housing is within said pre-set distance from said patient's body when said power switch activates said TMS device, whereby when said at least one body sensor is in its second position, then said at least one body sensor is in said activated state; and 
 a control circuit connected to the at least one body sensor, the control circuit is adapted to initiate the delivery of the a magnetic pulse by causing an electrical current from the at least one capacitor to flow through the wire coil, the control circuit further having a countdown timer circuit which counts down for a preset time period, said control circuit initiating discharge of the at least one capacitor subsequent to the preset time period only if the at least one body sensor is in the activated state; 
 where the control circuit further counts down for the preset time period, and the control circuit is adapted to initiate the delivery of a magnetic pulse by discharging the at least one capacitor through the at least one wire coil after a countdown timer has completed counting for the preset time period, the countdown timer includes means to notify the patient that a countdown is in progress, the means to notify the patient that a countdown has begun utilizes a sequence of sounds, and the sequence of sounds accelerates with reduced time between sounds in the sequence during the preset time period prior to the pulse being delivered for notification to the patient that the TMS device is in the preset time period. 
 
     
     
       2. The TMS device of  claim 1  where the preset period for the countdown timer circuit is programmable. 
     
     
       3. The TMS device of  claim 1  where the preset period for the countdown timer is adjustable. 
     
     
       4. The TMS device of  claim 1  where the sounds include a ticking sound. 
     
     
       5. The TMS device of  claim 1  where the at least one body sensor is a head sensor. 
     
     
       6. The TMS device of  claim 1  where the at least one body sensor is a finger sensor. 
     
     
       7. The TMS device of  claim 4  wherein the TMS housing further includes at least one slot to facilitate placement of the patient's fingers during delivery of the magnetic pulse, where a finger sensor is located within a portion of the at least one slot. 
     
     
       8. The TMS device of  claim 7  where there are two finger sensors, one for the fingers of each hand. 
     
     
       9. The TMS device of  claim 8  where the at least one body sensor is in the activated state only if both finger sensors are in an activated state. 
     
     
       10. The TMS device of  claim 1  where the at least one body sensor is a mechanical switch activated by pressure. 
     
     
       11. The TMS device of  claim 1  where the at least one body sensor is an optical sensor. 
     
     
       12. The TMS device of  claim 1  where the at least one body sensor is a capacitive sensor. 
     
     
       13. The TMS device of  1  where the control circuit further includes a full charge patient notification selected from the group of a visual patient notification, an audible patient notification, or a vibratory patient notification. 
     
     
       14. A transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) device for delivery of magnetic pulses into the body of a human patient including:
 at least one capacitor to store electrical energy; 
 at least one wire coil for delivering a magnetic pulse when an electrical current from the at least one capacitor is caused to flow through the at least one wire coil; 
 a charging circuit to charge the at least one capacitor; 
 at least one body sensor having an unactivated state and an activated state, the activated state defining that the TMS device has been displaced from a first positional location to a second positional location sufficiently close to the body of the patient to permit delivery of the magnetic pulse; and 
 a control circuit connected to the at least one body sensor, the control circuit adapted to initiate the delivery of a magnetic pulse when the control circuit causes the electrical current from the at least one capacitor to flow through the at least one wire coil, the control circuit further including a countdown timer that will count for a preset time period, the control circuit further having a notification mechanism to provide a patient notification, the at least one body sensor activated state initiating a function of the control circuit selected from the group of starting the countdown timer; initiating the delivery of the magnetic pulse, and initiating the patient notification, 
 where the countdown timer includes means to notify the patient that a countdown is in progress, the means to notify the patient that a countdown has begun utilizes a sequence of sounds, and the sequence of sounds accelerates with reduced time between sounds in the sequence during the preset time period prior to the pulse being delivered for notification to the patient that the TMS device is in the preset time period. 
 
     
     
       15. The TMS device of  claim 14  where failure of the at least one body sensor to achieve said activated state within a preset time after the countdown timer begins will initiate a function of the control circuit selected from the group of restarting a countdown timer circuit, initiating the patient notification, and turning off the TMS device. 
     
     
       16. The TMS device of  claim 14  where the preset period for the countdown timer is programmable. 
     
     
       17. The TMS device of  claim 14  where the at least one body sensor is a head sensor. 
     
     
       18. The TMS device of  claim 14  where the at least one body sensor is a finger sensor. 
     
     
       19. The TMS device of  claim 14  where the at least one body sensor is a mechanical switch activated by pressure. 
     
     
       20. The TMS device of  claim 14  where the at least one body sensor is an optical sensor. 
     
     
       21. The TMS device of  claim 14  where the at least one body sensor is a capacitive sensor. 
     
     
       22. The TMS device of  claim 1  where the control circuit further includes a full charge patient notification selected from the group including:
 a. a visual patient notification, 
 b. an audible patient notification, or 
 c. a vibratory patient notification. 
 
     
     
       23. A transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) device for delivery of magnetic pulses into the body of a human patient including:
 at least one capacitor to store electrical energy; 
 at least one wire coil for delivering a magnetic pulse when an electrical current from the at least one capacitor is caused to flow through the at least one wire coil; 
 a charging circuit to charge the at least one capacitor; 
 at least one body sensor having an unactivated state and an activated state, the activated state defining that the TMS device has been displaced from a first positional location to a second positional location sufficiently close to the body of the patient to permit delivery of the magnetic pulse; and 
 a control circuit connected to the at least one body sensor, the control circuit adapted to initiate the delivery of a magnetic pulse when the control circuit causes the electrical current from the at least one capacitor to flow through the at least one wire coil, the control circuit further including a countdown timer that will count for a preset time period, the control circuit further having a notification mechanism to provide a patient notification, the at least one body sensor activated state initiating a function of the control circuit selected from the group of starting the countdown timer; initiating the delivery of the magnetic pulse, and initiating the patient notification; 
 where the countdown timer includes means to notify the patient that a countdown is in progress, and the means to notify the patient that a countdown has begun utilizes a sequence of sounds, the sounds include a ticking sound. 
 
     
     
       24. The TMS device of  claim 23  where failure of the at least one body sensor to achieve said activated state within a preset time after the countdown timer begins will initiate a function of the control circuit selected from the group of restarting a countdown timer circuit, initiating the patient notification, and turning off the TMS device. 
     
     
       25. The TMS device of  claim 23  where the preset period for the countdown timer is programmable. 
     
     
       26. The TMS device of  claim 23  where the at least one body sensor is a head sensor. 
     
     
       27. The TMS device of  claim 23  where the at least one body sensor is a finger sensor. 
     
     
       28. The TMS device of  claim 23  where the at least one body sensor is a mechanical switch activated by pressure. 
     
     
       29. The TMS device of  claim 23  where the at least one body sensor is an optical sensor. 
     
     
       30. The TMS device of  claim 23  where the at least one body sensor is a capacitive sensor.